Is It Okay To Feed My Cat Chicken? (And How Often?)
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For cat owners, treating their precious cats is a significant concern. Especially for the new cat- parents or adopters, it can be challenging to understand what to feed their cats. Cats’ dietary requirements include a high protein intake. So, you’re probably wondering if you can give chicken to your cats. If so, is it okay to give it to them regularly?
The simple answer is, yes, it is okay to feed your cat chicken. Chicken is an excellent source of lean protein that is essential for the growth and muscle development of cats. At the same time, it fulfills their daily requirement of protein intake very quickly. It is healthy to feed your cat chicken every once in a while rather than build a habit.
Cats are carnivorous animals. It is necessary to include lean meat options in their diet to fulfill their protein requirements. However, you should remember that a balanced diet provides different nutrition, vitamins, fibers, etc. There are a lot of correlative factors that the pet owner should be aware of before feeding a chicken.
Can My Cats Eat Chicken?
Simply said, yes, your cats can eat chicken. It is an excellent alternative for including the necessary protein and nutritional elements in your chickens’ diet. The lean protein from chicken meat helps the cat build muscles, maintain a healthy heart and vision, and regulate the overall functioning of its body. Feeding cooked chicken to your cats is always recommended.
It is necessary for cat owners out there to include cooked meat options in their diets. I always recommend feeding cooked chicken to the cats every once in a while. It can suit the diet of the cats very quickly. At the same time, it helps them to build up healthy eating habits, especially if your cats are reluctant to eat appropriately. This issue can be solved easily with chicken meat.
As we commonly know, fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins, minerals, and necessary health ingredients. But they are not the singular source of these nutrients. In fact, feeding your chickens only fruits and vegetables will make them weak and damage their immune system. So, I always prefer adding chicken to the diet of my cats.
One of the critical advantages of feeding chicken to your cats is that it will allow them to grow and maintain healthy bones and teeth. Chicken meat contains necessary nutrients like selenium, vitamin B6, phosphorus, and a high amount of protein. This allows the cats to build up a strong immune system while maintaining and regulating their central nervous system.
So, to sum it up, I would remarkably recommend feeding chicken meat to your cats. Of course, there are constraints and necessary rules regarding feeding chicken to your cats. But overall, it is a significant element to include in your cats’ diet. Simultaneously, cooked chicken meat can be a wonderful treat for cats. It is immensely helpful for cat owners to have chicken.
How Often Should I Feed My Cat Chicken?
There is no specified rule regarding how often you can feed chicken to your cats. However, according to health experts and vets, it is essential not to use chicken as a steady meal replacement. The cat owners should feed chicken to their cats every once in a while or feed chicken three to five times a week, depending on their cats’ health and nutritional requirements.
Cats are carnivorous animals, so their diet should predominantly be made of animal products. According to PetMD, the cat owner should not feed their cats chicken so much that it becomes a steady meal replacement. This can lead to several health issues for the cats, including kidney issues and pancreatitis. So, the chicken should be fed moderately.
Professionals suggest that pet owners should keep chickens less than 10 percent of the daily caloric intake of the cats. So, the overall intake of chicken in the daily meal of cats should not be more than 10 to 15 percent. For this reason, I would advise feeding chicken to the cats moderately. You can include chicken in one meal a day for the cats.
At the same time, avoid feeding chicken to the cat’s chicken daily. I would suggest feeding chicken meat no more than five times a week. However, the intake can significantly differ depending on the situation of your cats. If the cat is rescued from an adverse situation and has a weak immune system, then you might need to feed chicken to the cat more often.
It is best to contact a veterinarian in such situations. The professionals can make you a diet chart to maintain and improve your cats’ health. If I am hesitant about the dietary plan of my cats, I would immediately contact a vet. As a result, the cat can get the best results according to the needs of its body. Hence, they can recover and grow stronger.
How To Prepare Chicken For My Cats
The best way to prepare chicken for your cats is to keep the meat as plain as possible. This makes thoroughly cooked and boiled chicken meat the best way to feed chicken to your cats. Always avoid including spices and additional dressing to the meat when feeding it to your cats. It is also crucial to avoid feeding raw chicken meat to the cats.
The ideal way to prepare chicken for your cats is actually quite simple. I follow this recipe, and it works great with cats. First, take your pan and put the chicken meat there. Add a small amount of water to cover half of the chicken. Cook the chicken for around 10 to 15 minutes while immersed halfway in the water. Check if it is cooked thoroughly.
You can use a spatula to push the chicken around so it does not stick to the pan. You can take the chicken off the heat when it is nice and firm. However, ensure that it does not leak pink juice when pressed. Let the meat cool in the gravy before you take it out. You must avoid serving hot chicken right out of the stove to your cats. It will harm their organs.
You can shred the meat or blend it using a blender to help the cat eat. It is better not to blend the meat if you are helping your cat to build up a hard food diet. This way, you can easily cook chicken for your cats and help them fulfill their dietary needs. It is a simple and quick way to prepare food. Your cats will get all the necessary nutrients from the meal.
Although there are many debates regarding feeding raw chicken to your cats, it is best to avoid feeding it. Raw meat has many negative impacts on the cat’s overall health. Raw meat is listed on the ASPCA list of toxic foods. It contains Salmonella and E. coli bacteria that can harm your cats, leading to infectious diseases like toxoplasmosis.
In conclusion, I strongly suggest feeding your cats thoroughly cooked, clean chicken. The health benefits of feeding properly cooked chicken to your cats are numerous. Avoid using spices, garlic, onions, etc., in the meal as it can disrupt the cat’s digestive system. Lastly, do not feed raw chicken to your cats, as it will create severe health issues and harm them.
